PIRATES 4, SOUND TIGERS 2

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers fell to the Portland Pirates Sunday afternoon by a final score of 4-2. Ryan Walters scored in the second period for his first professional goal while Jake Newton had his second of the year in the first. Kevin Poulin started for the Sound Tigers in net and stopped 25 of 28 Pirates shots.

The Sound Tigers picked up the opening goal of the game at 10:40 of the first on what was their first power-play opportunity of the game. A good shift kept the Pirates penalty killers on the ice for an extended period of time, and Jeremy Langlois passed the puck back to center point. Newton blasted a one-timer through traffic and past Pirates goaltender Louis Domingue to give the Sound Tigers a 1-0 lead.

Lucas Lessio scored a power-play goal of his own early in the second period to tie the score at one. Jordan Szwarz hit Lessio with a cross-ice pass through the neutral zone and Lessio raced into the Sound Tigers end. He went to the backhand as he drove to the net and put a backhander top shelf on Poulin to make it a tie game.

The Sound Tigers answered later in the period on Walters’ first professional goal. The puck initially came back to the point for Guy Leboeuf, who fired a shot on net. Domingue made the save, Walters was right out front to deposit the rebound in the back of the net and give the Sound Tigers a 2-1 lead.

Just before the period came to a close, however, the Pirates managed to tie the game thanks to a goal from Jordan Szwarz. With Portland on another power play, Lessio took a shot that Poulin stopped. Szwarz was at the net front, though, and punched home the rebound to tie the score with 15.5 seconds left in the second period.

The Sound Tigers picked up a power play midway through the third period, but it was Portland who converted with a shorthanded goal to take a 3-2 lead. The Sound Tigers turned the puck over in the neutral zone and the Pirates came back the other way on an odd-man rush. Randy Jones was the trailer, and he found the back of the net at the 12:19 mark. Jordan Martinoook added an empty-netter with less than a minute to play to seal the win for Portland.

The Sound Tigers return to action this weekend with a home-and-home series against the Hartford Wolf Pack. They’ll be in Hartford Saturday night before hosting the Wolf Pack at 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

NOTESMore on Walters: Not only did Ryan Walters score his first pro goal, he has led the team in shots on goal in both of his two pro games. With seven in Sunday’s game, he tied Ryan Strome for a season-high for the Sound Tigers this season.

Scooter on the Board: With an assist in Sunday’s game, Scooter Vaughan now has three points in the last four games.

Debuts: Brock Montpetit, who played four seasons at the University of Nebraska-Omaha with Ryan Walters, made his professional debut in Sunday’s game.